Nut-lock.



CJB. RATCLIFFB.

TLOOK PPPPPPPPPPPPP LED Dio; 111111 7.

`900,589. Patente Octn 6, 1908.

Ywi b minuti-lvl;gA I

'of f I To all rwhom it may concern:

oHARLEs E. RATCLIFFE, OF. PADUGAH, KENTUCKY.

Nu'r-Locx.

Specification of Letters Patent.

vPatented. Oct. 6, 1908.

Application filed December 18, 1907. Serial No. 407,042.

Be it known that I, CHRLES E. RAT- cLIFFE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paducah, in the county of McCracken and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful N ut-Lock, of which the following is a specification.

he invention relates to improvements in *nut locks.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of nut locks, and to provide a sim le, inex ensive and eflicient device,- capa le of enalbling a nut to be readily screwed on a bolt in the usual manner, and adapted to eflectually prevent the same from accidentally unscrewing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character adapted also to enable a nut to be readily unscrewed without injuring the same or the bolt.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel -c'ombination of parts hereinafter fully deseribed, illustrated 1n the accompanying drawing, and ointed out in the claims hereto appended; it eing understood that various I -changes i'n the form, proportion,. size and 'larl minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departin from the spirit or sacrificing any vof the a vantages of the invention.

In the drawing Figure 1,is a perspective view of a nut provided With a looking device,

constructed in accordance with this inven-` tion and shown applied to a bolt. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig'. 3 is a transverse sectional view o n the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a lon itudinal sectional view, illustrating a modication of the invention, the locking spring being arranged at the inner or rear portion .of the nut. Fig. 5 is a detail perspectlve view of the nut shown in Fig. 4.

Like. numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

The nut lock, Which is designed particufor use on railroad joints, machinery an other constructions subject to vibration, embodies a nut 1 having a threaded opening 2 and provided with a smooth counter bore 3, forrm'ng an annular chamber or space for the reception of a coiled looking spring 4, adapted to ermit the nut to be readily screwed on a olt 5 by means of a wrench or other suitable tool, and capable of tightly which is The slot 7 and the recess 9 are preferably arranged at diametrically opposite points to` -draw'the' coils of the locki ripping the bolt to prevent any accidental ackward i movement of the nut. The smooth recess or chamber 3, which is arran ed at the outer or front end of the nut 1,

as i ustrated in Fi s. may also be locate as shown in Fig. 4.

The looking spring consists of a series of 1 and 2 of the drawing, at the rear end thereof,

coils of a diameter to ti htly embrace the bolt and fit the threads t ereof. The outer end of the spring ,is extended radially and bent longitudinally of the bolt to form a radially arranged longitudinally disposed loop 6, Which is secured in a narrow slot 7 of the.nut.`

Theinner or rear end of the loop terminates ait-and fits against the rear side -face of the rear coil. The rear or inner end of the loekin spring is bent outwardly to form a radia located in a recess 9 of the nut.

avold any excessive weakening of the nut.

The slot 7l extends longitudinally with relation to the bolt, andthe loop 6 may be wedged or secured in the slot by any suitable means. When the spring i s located at the outer or 'front portion of the nut, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the nut is provided With a longitudinal entrance slot 10, extending inwardly or rearwardly from the outer face of fthe nut to the recess 9, which is disposed transversely With relation to the bolt. This will enable the Operating arm of the spring y to be readily introduced into the recess 9 in assembling the parts.

The screwing of the nut on the bolt tends to exp'and the coils of the looking spring, so

that the latter does not interfere With the inward movement of the nut on the bolt, but any retrogi'ade rotation of the nut operates to g spring tightly around the'bolt, Which is securely clamped by the sprin prevented rom accidentally unscrewing. Should it be desired to removethe nut, the Operating arm is moved backward from one Wallof the recess 9 to the opposite wall thereof toexpand the coils of the spring, and

thereb vrelease the bolt.

In igs. 4,and 5 of the drawing is illustrated a mod-ification of the invention, the nut 11 being provided at its inner or rear Iportion with a counter bore 12 to receive th'e looking spring 13, construoted similar to that heretofore described. The loop 14: is ary arranged Operating arm .8, 75

whereby the nut is eflectually 10(` ranged in a longitudinal slot 15, extendingl eeive the Operating arm 17 of the spring.v

As the recess and the Operating arm are arranged at the rear face of the nut, an entrance slot is unnecessary, as Will be readily understood.

As'the coils of the sprin fit the threads of the bolt, they are adapte to take the place of the threads of the nut, and the spring may be appled to a nut having a smooth bolt opening. Such a nut Wil then be adapted to serew on and off the bolt, and the spring Will perform the double function of the threads and the loekin device.

Having thus fully describe my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1- 1. A nut provided With an opening for the I passage of a bolt and having a recess communieating With the opening, a looking 'spring arranged Within the said opening and having its outer end rigidly secured to the nut and provided at its inner end with an operating arm located within the recess and adapted to be move backward transversely of t e nut to eXpand the coils of the spring for permitting the removal of the said nut.-

2. A nut'lock comprising a nut provided With a longitudinal slot and having a transverse recess, and a coiled looking spring provided a t its outer end With a radially ar- 'end of the spring bein ranged longitudinall disposed loop extendin into the longitu inal slot of the nut and he d against transverse movement, the other movable transversely of the nut 1n .the sai recess to expand the coils.

3. A nut lock com rising a nut provided With a longitudinal s ot and having a transverse recess, and a coiled locking spring arranged within the nut and provided at its outer end with a radially arranged loop ex- V tending longitudinally and terminating at and engaging the inner coil and secured within the lon itudinal slot of the nut, the inner end of t e spring being extended to form an Operating arm and arranged in the transverse recess for expanding the coils.

4. A nut lock comprising a nut provided With a transverse recess and having an entrance slot extending from the front face of the nut to the recess, said nut being also provided With a longitudinal slot, and a coiled looking spring arranged within the nut and provided` Witth an Operating arni located Within the said'recess, said s ring bein r also provided with a lon itudinal y disposeff loop secured in the slot o the nut.

In testimony, that I claim the foregeing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. RATCLIFFE.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM G. MCFADDEN, JULIAN GREAR. 

